24| Confrontation II

Mel stepped aside as Bjorn closed the door to the study shut behind her. He paused, his back facing her as he straightened to his full height and sighed.

She glanced around the spacious room, toying with her fingers, and was half surprised to find that the head of the Grime clan seemed intellectual enough. Except for her brother, not even her father had this many books in his own private office.

“I do not appreciate you sharing intimate details of our relationship with other people,” he said as he turned to face her, breaking the silence in the room.

Mel winced, immediately tearing her eyes from Bjorn’s pointed gaze. He had heard them.

“But she’s my friend,” Mel let out in a disgruntled whisper.

Bjorn’s eyes narrowed. “She’s not your friend.” He shook his head and walked to his work desk. “She can’t be your friend.”

“Excuse me?” Mel looked up at him, a disturbed frown working its way to her face. “How can you even say that?”

Bjorn’s jaw twitched and he sat on the edge of the table, folding his arms across his chest. “I have my reasons.”

“That is just ridiculous! I wouldn’t even be telling her such ‘sensitive information’ in the first place if you hadn’t woken me up the previous night to consummate our—our…” Mel clamped her lips shut and gritted her teeth, unable to say the words now that she was alone with him. Moreover, she hated how her neck and cheeks were starting to heat up.

He sat still for a moment, stunned. Then one of his heavy brows quirked up. “Is this what you wanted to talk about?”

“What?” Mel’s face fell. He spoke as if they were discussing a trivial matter, and this made her feel as if she was overreacting. “What do you mean by that? We missed a sacred vow because of you and you’re talking as if it is of no importance.”

Bjorn started, his voice low, “Did you really think most newlyweds follow that rule?”

Mel stared at him in silence, trying to comprehend the meaning behind his words.

He continued, “You made your promise when we drank the Earth’s sap. I do not see what the problem is aside from that. I came to bed and I slept. No one is aware your husband neglected you if that’s what you’re troubled about.”

“The—”

“The marital rule you’re referring to in both our nations involves both spouses sleeping together ‘in the same bed’,” he said.

The matter-of-fact way Born spoke disturbed Mel. He seemed detached from everything. As if it wasn’t even their union they were talking about right now. It felt like he didn’t even want to be bothered about this.

*‘I can’t believe this. It’s our first day together and we’re already in an argument,’* she thought, dismayed.

“A child…” she weakly muttered, her voice low as she faced Bjorn.

From the way he froze, she could tell he heard her pretty clearly. “What?” he asked, his eyes widening.

“I said I wanted a child,” she said a little louder.

Bjorn stood up, frowning. “That’s too soon.”

“Too soon?!”

“Yes.” He marched towards her and Mel retreated, her heart hammering against her ribcage as she took frantic steps back. Her back slammed into the wall and her heart gave an immediate lurch as Bjorn stood close, leaning over her as he growled, his eyes narrowed, “It’s too soon.”

His eyes lowered to her lips. Her eyes darted to his and her cheeks and ears immediately flushed a faint red. The tingling sensation returned to her lips and an odd feeling formed at the base of her stomach as she remembered the kiss during the ceremony. His lips had been so soft…

As though coming to his senses, Bjorn’s face morphed into a hard frown. He sharply looked away and straightened.

Mel flinched, stung by his silent rejection. How could she be admiring this man? After the embarrassment he had put her through, she was here on the verge of giving in to her fantasies, and the thought infuriated her. She rushed out of his office, not forgetting to slam the heavy door behind her.

Bjorn trudged to his desk and sat down on the chair. He clenched his jaw and tore off his gloves, flinging them onto the table. He groaned and rubbed his face with his bare hands, annoyance and a slight tinge of guilt staining his conscience.

He was coming to suggest they have an outing with him escorting her round the undercity and getting her used to her new home when he heard that absurd conversation she was having with Lori. Not only was it with Lori, but why was she even discussing this with someone? If she had a problem, she could have talked to him about it first.

He had been annoyed, eventually taking it out on her. Well… she was partly to blame. Then again, he couldn’t believe what he had just heard. She wanted a baby? Was that why she was angry about him not sleeping with her? He absentmindedly cracked one of his fingers, thinking of how long it would be for the naïve woman to figure out his deception. He had lied and been honest at the same time. Them having sex to commemorate their union was true, but he wasn’t wrong when he told her it was never always followed, and such a thing was meant for spouses who loved each other. If anything, she was the one taking such a sacred vow lightly.

He laughed. Did she actually mean that? What guarantee was there that she wouldn’t flee once they tumbled in the sheets? She was taller than most Sprites, but she was still small compared to him. It felt like he was courting a teenage Orion girl, and that made him feel odd. Even a young Orion girl would have more stamina compared to her.

*‘At this point, I’m just fishing around for excuses,’* he reasoned, not wanting to admit his deepest thoughts even to himself.

Lori was far more attractive to him than Mel. And Mel could never be her.

_________________________


Lori was gone, but a worried Annie lingered around. Mel found her as she descended from one of the manor’s staircases, a forlorn look on her face.

“My lady,” Annie whispered, her hands clasped at her chest as she noticed Mel’s distraught countenance.

“My pot… where did you put it?” Mel simply asked, her voice low.

Annie opened her mouth to speak, to ask what was wrong with Mel, to question what the lord had done to hurt her in some way. But the likelihood that Mel wouldn’t say anything shut her down and she instead led Mel back to her chambers, bringing out the vase Harriett had gifted Mel as she was leaving.

“I wasn’t sure if I could include it in your bed chambers, so I held on to it for a while,” Annie whispered as she handed the potted plant to her lady, a bit ashamed at the barefaced lie she had just uttered.

Mel may cherish her mother’s gift, but she didn’t have a good history of taking proper care of plants.

“It’s okay,” Mel said, hugging the vase to her chest and walking away. “I’ll be keeping it in my room from now on.”

“My—”

Mel turned to face Annie, as though remembering something. “I want to go outside…”

Mel found that she didn’t need to memorize the route to the tunnel leading straight to the surface. It had been relatively straightforward, and she was just as surprised when it led to the domed hall she had first met Bjorn in.

It was strangely quiet inside, but when Mel reached the door, she paused at the chattering and busy streets outside.

She wanted to be alone, and she doubted that the citizens would give her the peace she wanted this very moment. If they were to even see her face, they would know there was something wrong and she couldn’t have that.

“I know a different route underground that can take you to the outskirts of the clan. Where you won’t be disturbed…”

Annie’s soft whisper snapped Mel out of her daze and she looked back to see her maid had snuck up on her, her face torn with worry.

“Alright.” Mel turned away from the entrance and followed Annie back underground, outside their residence, and through a larger tunnel that led up to a small earthen shed which turned out to be a small shop for carved masks and wears. Annie notes it belonged to Enmel, Eustace’s younger brother.

Mel left the small shack and walked out into the open, her tight chest easing a bit as she looked down at the far-off settlement in the near distance. She eyed the woods on her other side for quite a while until Annie’s voice broke the silence once again.

“It’s safe. The Grime territory far exceeds the forest out there, and nearly every bear kin in the settlement can sense when there is an invader.”

“Oh. I see.” Mel walked to the far side of the clear field and laid down in the grass, placing the pot on her belly and holding it in place. Amidst the cool breeze that swayed the grass and toyed with her hair, it took a while for the gentle scent to reach her nose.

It only ever released its peachy smell in the presence of sunlight. She closed her eyelids and the back of her eyes burned as she lay there in silence. It had been foolishly naïve of her to even dare hope to get something out of this marriage. Her parents loved each other even if their marriage was arranged so why couldn’t she?

She knew awfully well she wasn’t coming in to receive love instantly, but she didn’t keep in mind that she would be initially smitten with him. Now, what was she going to do? Just looking at him from now on would be a headache.

Quick footsteps prompted Mel to sit up, annoyance creeping into her system as she shifted to face Annie. She had clearly told her she wanted to be alone.

“Mel?”

Mel stilled. It wasn’t Annie, but Lori that approached her, coming straight from the settlement. She cleared her throat and rubbed at her eyes, not wanting Lori to see her tears.

“Mel. Why are you out here? You should be inside assisting Bjorn,” Lori piped, an incredulous look on her face as she stared down at Mel.

Mel lightly frowned, dumbfounded.

She was supposed to work?